Now and Again
by AnimeDarkAngel
Summary: Raven's in America and her mom dies...catgirls, magic, and dragons...what does it have to do with Sailor Jupiter's past


Now and Again  
By  
Raven Firestone  
1/8/02  
Disclaimers: I do not own Sailor Moon. That is property of Naoko Takeuchi. Tsumi Akai and Eric Lertin belong to Sailor_Hope. Raven Firestone, Sam (Sarah Anne Maxwell), Jake Blackford, and Cassie are mine.  
Warnings: I have none.  
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" 'Akai,  
I miss you all very much. America is fun but it would be even more so if you all were here with me. Right now I am visiting my friend Cassie in California!! She's gonna come home with me when I return. I should warn you before hand, um, she's a bit um well different. You'll see what I mean when we get there. I'll be home in about a week. I have to cut this letter short cause Cassie wants to take me shopping. Love ya hun. Tell everyone hi. And be sure to tell Jake I love him. I miss you all and will be home soon. I'll bring back presents when. I come home too!! Bye!   
Ja'ne,  
Raven'"  
The girl reading the letter looked up as she finished the letter. Her bright blue eyes shined with laughter. She would have read the letter aloud but she wasn't too sure if anything personal was in there. It seemed fine. Her blonde hair shined in the candlelight. "Well guys she said hi to you all. Everything seems to be fine in her world so I guess we have no worries." She looks over at a young man who is a bit older than she. Elbowing him she laughs. "She said to tell you she loves you." He glares at her his green eyes showing the fondness for his girlfriend's best friend. "Hey, don't elbow me!!" He pauses for a moment then slides his hand over his smooth dirty blonde hair. "She said that??" The girl hands him the letter. "See for yourself." He eagerly takes it from her hands. As he reads it over yet another blonde guy speaks up. His dark blue eyes reflect the candlelight. "So she's in Cali huh??" A girl with bright blue hair and eyes to match looks at the guy. She rolls her head on his chest and he tightens his arms around her. She smiles. "I wonder what its like there. Akai. Your mom used to live out there. What has she told you about it?" The girl who had been reading the letter a moment ago looks up. "Mom told me that it is beautiful there. It has beaches, and forests, and its got tons of people."   
"Well we have tons of people here to." Pipes a young girl with blonde hair pulled into two pigtails on the top of her head. The pigtails fall from to meatball shaped buns on the top of her head. Thus earning her the nickname, meatball head. Her baby blue eyes flicker with the candlelight. Another girl next to her frowns. She shakes her head making her long black hair sway from side to side. "But, Usagi, the culture is totally different." Changing the topic that the group was talking about, Jake frowns. "I wonder why Raven is staying with Cassie. I thought she was visiting her mom." Akai shrugs it off. "Well there is another letter that she sent two days later." Jake literally pounces on Akai. Another guy who looks around Jake's age, grins. The two look almost like twins, the exception is that this guy has blue eyes, and he's about 3 inches taller then Jake. He wraps his arm around Akai's shoulder. "Well read it!" Akai looks at the group with concern. She had a bad feeling about this letter and didn't want to open it. "Um...o-okay." Akai opened the letter and pulled out a very short piece of paper. With slightly shaky hands only noticeable to her. Unfolding the paper she sighed. *Perhaps I'm just worried about her cause we aren't as close as normal. * She begins to read the paper aloud.  
  
" 'Akai,  
Hi. Well I'm sorry to say this letter won't be as cheerful as the last one I sent you. I have bad news. Momma died yesterday. Rather than coming home nest week I will be home the day after you get this. So I'll be seeing you soon. I love you all very much. You are now my family. Look after Sam. Talk to you all later.'"  
Usagi stared at Akai in shock. Her blue eyes no more reflecting merriment and laughter. "Oh my gosh..." Jake began to shake his head and grabbed a younger girls hand and looked her in her bright silver eyes. "Raven...Sam I'm sorry." A blue haired girl lifts her head from off of another young girls shoulder. "That poor girl." The girl with the silver head let silent tears stream down her face and she pushes her black hair back behind her ears. "No, no, Raven...Aunt Faith...this can't be happening." She hides herself in her cousin's boyfriend's arms. The guy who had his arm wrapped around Akai now was shaking his head, sorry he even asked Akai to read it. "Man, Sam, I'm sorry." The girl who had the blue haired friend leaning on her stared into space. "Oh Raven, Sam." Her deep violet eyes had a bit of water forming in her eyes. She could only imagine how Raven and Sam felt. The girl that had asked Akai about California now looked at Sam with tenderness. "Oh Sam honey." Sam pulls out of Jake's arms and runs to her with tears pouring down like rain. "Michiru, Haruka." The guy holding Michiru brings both the woman and girl into his arms and holds them tight. Akai shakes her head. "I think it's about time we went to bed. We have to get up early to pick up Raven." No one argues and they all fall asleep.   
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On the plane to Tokyo, Japan  
  
Two girls sit side by side in the very back of the second-class section of the plane. One of the girls sits in silence with a dejected look on her face. Her brown eyes look as if they are about to over flow with unwanted tears. She runs her slender fingers through her long brown hair that falls wildly around her face. She hadn't bothered to put it up this morning. The other girl looks at her friend with concern clearly in her emerald eyes. Using her fingers she preens her chin length blue hair. Never before had she seen her friend so upset. A small grin flashes across her orange, and black striped face. "Raven. Look, don't be so upset. You knew it was going to be soon." The brunette turns to her friend and quickly brushes away the tears that wear threatening to fall. "I know, it's just weird. I really wasn't ready for it to happen. And imagine how Sam's gotta feel." The girl nodded her head. She knew exactly what would happen. Sam as usual would hide her emotions once she overcame the shock. She was just like Raven when people were around. Just make them think your happy and don't let them know you were dieing inside. That's how they felt and nothing could change that. The girl just sighed. "Yeah. Poor kid." Raven suddenly frowned. "Um Cassie." The girl nodded. "Hmm??" Raven pointed at a small orange ear protruding from beneath the hat Cassie was wearing. "Your hat is falling off." Cassie quickly adjusted it on her head. She snarled at it as she fitted it back over her ear. "Ragh!" Raven laughed affectionately at her friend. It wasn't Cassie's fault she had to hide her appearance. It's just that people in general would never accept a person that was half cat as one of them. Simply cause she was different. Raven lay her hand over her friends. "Come on. We need some sleep." Cassie literally howled when Raven mentioned sleep. "SLEEP!!" Raven nodded. "Um, yea sleep." Cassie presses her hand against Raven's forehead. She leans over in Raven's ear then whispers something. "Oh come on!! I'm half cat. And you, well, your mom was a , was it a fairy or an angel, oh well same diff. Anyhow. You're only half human. Like you need sleep." Raven grabbed Cassie by the back of the head and forced a smile upon her own face. "I said we sleep. So we sleep, got it??" She said in more of a demanding tone rather than one of question. Cassie slouched in her seat. "Fine." Raven curls into a small ball and leans her chair backwards. Smiling she pats Cassie's hand one more time. "Thank you." Cassie can't help but to smile as both girls fall asleep.  
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At 5am that night everyone at Akai's is up and ready to leave at a moments notice. All want to see Raven tremendously. Not only to give condolences to their dear friend but also to meet her "different" friend. The girl named Usagi rolls up her sleeping bag and ties the string around it tight. Brushing blonde bangs away from her eyes her voice breaks the silence. "So. Which of us is going to pick up Raven??" Akai, who had been busy making toast, pulls butter out of the refrigerator and looks at the teen. "Well obviously Haruka. I mean after all he does have the car and license." She frowns thinking of her friend Raven. Hopefully that girl got her license while in America. She had been there long enough. But then again knowing Raven, she'd probably drive without it anyhow. Haruka interrupts her thoughts. "Akai, you going. And Sam, you don't have a choice. That's all I can fit. Raven and Cassie, have to have somewhere to sit." The room nods in agreement. Akai steps out of the kitchen and tosses a piece of toast to Usagi. Grinning the black haired girl from earlier smiles. "Then it's settled." Akai hands this girl the last of her toast. "Rei," the girl looks up then takes the offering, "Okay guys. Lets get a move on. WE don't want to be late." The group waves to the others. Haruka winks at his blue haired girlfriend. "We'll be back soon." Closing the door behind them the others begin to finish cleaning the house.  
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Raven and Cassie stand outside the doors of the terminal. The flight hadn't seemed quite so long once they had gotten some sleep. Shifting the weight of her purse to her other arm Raven sighs "I guess they aren't here yet." She turns to her friend and sees the growing frustration on Cassie's face. A questioning look crosses her face and she opens her mouth to speak but her friend beats her to it. "Can I just take the hat off already?" Her face falls from the frustration and she begins to pout, making it difficult to say no. All the same, "No." Cassie's tail puffs up under her dress but fortunately no one is near by to notice it. She lightly growls at Raven. Raven taps Cassie's nose lightly with her finger. "I said no. Now hush." Cassie wiggles her nose and rubs her temple. "But.." She begins to protest. Raven covers the cat girls mouth with her hand. "Hold it. I think that's Haruka's car." With her other hand she indicates to a black ford escort. A grin spreads across her 17 year old face. "Yup that's him!! Lets go!" She picks up her bag, flings it over her shoulder and sprints towards the car. Cassie slouches as she follows her enthusiastic friend. "But it's making my ears itch."   
Raven jumps up and down waving her arm emphatically. Cassie gradually makes her way over to her teenage friend. "How can you know if it's him when you haven't even seen any of them for over a year?" Raven giggles and wraps her left arm around the cat girls neck. "We have a special 'bond'." The car pulls up as she continues to laugh with absolute joy. Cassie shakes her head but cant help but to smile. 'Wow. To hear her laugh again is like sitting on a lake during the sunset. You can't help but to feel like everything is going to be alright.'   
"Hey Cassie?? You coming??"   
Cassie blinks her way out of her thoughts and looks at Raven who is already in the car. Raven is smiling and laughing as her little cousin wraps herself around her neck. Cassie throws her bag into the backseat and plops down beside it. The man in the front of the car places his hand on the back of the passenger seat and turns to the girls. "Where to ladies?" Raven looks at Cassie about ready to jump out of her seat. Cassie nods her head and Raven grabs Haruka's arm. "TO JAKE AND THE GANG!!!" Haruka smiles, looks around the parking lot and laughs. "Got your seatbelts on??" A quizzical look is shot at Raven from Cassie. Before Raven can even answer Cassie's unspoken question the car was speeding at 100 miles out of the parking lot. Cassie held back a startled gasp as Haruka quickly veered away from another much larger vehicle. 'This guy is a nut!!! Pretty cute though.' She clung to the side of the car as Haruka swung around another corner at top speed.  
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Jake wanders into Raven's room upstairs. He had never been in there before although he had always had permission. His face reddens as he picks up a picture of him from fourth grade. It was encased in a deep red heart shaped frame that had his name engraved on the top of it. He flips it over and a letter flutters to the ground. Being curious he picks it up and unfolds it. The letter reads:  
  
"Akai!! 1-10-01  
AHH!! I can't stand this any more!! Being a sailor scout is one thing. But the pressure of love is way too much!!! I don't even think Jake knows that I'm alive!! Hey I gotta go. Mrs. Tsumari is walking towards me."  
  
Jake's face flushes a deep red as he replaces the letter. 'How could I not know you were alive!! You were and might I add are, pretty, smart, and you look out for everyone. I remember in 1st grade. Some of the 8th graders were messing with me and you stood up to them and just walked away. I always admired you since!!'   
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End file.
